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Most high-risk mental health calls to 1737 come from women and teens
New Zealand Medical Journal
The 1737 mental health helpline saw contact surges during major national events like COVID-19 lockdowns and the Christchurch mosque attacks. A study of over 700,000 calls and texts found that high-risk calls triggering police or ambulance... Read more about Most high-risk mental health calls to 1737 come from women and teens
New ZealandAUT University | Whakarongorau Aotearoa | New Zealand Telehealth Services, -
Steps towards equitable lung cancer care, but barriers remain
New Zealand Medical Journal
Differences in access to good lung cancer care may be an important driver of lower survival rates for Māori. Māori with lung cancer also have higher emergency presentation rates, poorer access to early detection, lower surgery rates and... Read more about Steps towards equitable lung cancer care, but barriers remain
New ZealandUniversity of Otago | University of Waikato | Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand ... -
Māori less likely to receive best available lung cancer treatment
New Zealand Medical Journal
Māori and non-Māori receive anti-cancer treatment at similar rates overall, however, Māori are less likely to receive targeted therapy, which is superior to chemotherapy for many patients. This difference may help explain why Māori had higher... Read more about Māori less likely to receive best available lung cancer treatment
New ZealandUniversity of Waikato | University of Auckland | Waikato Hospital -
Psychedelic therapy for depression needs to be equitable - editorial
New Zealand Medical Journal
The one psychiatrist in NZ who can now prescribe psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression has expressed concern about this treatment only being available for the privileged few who can pay out of pocket. In an editorial for the New Zealand... Read more about Psychedelic therapy for depression needs to be equitable - editorial
New ZealandUniversity of Canterbury | Elimbias Health -
Hot weather causes children to sweat at the same rate as adults, study shows
British Journal of Sports Medicine
New research from the University of Sydney has found that children are at a similar risk of dehydration and hyperthermia in extreme heat as adults, contradicting previous advice that children are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. The study... Read more about Hot weather causes children to sweat at the same rate as adults, study shows
Australia; NSW; SA; ACTThe University of Sydney | University of Canberra ... -
Superbugs in wastewater? Just add rhubarb and turmeric
Frontiers in Microbiology
US and Chinese scientists say curcumin, found in turmeric, and emodin, from rhubarb, are effective ways of killing off some types of bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics. The team tested samples from a wastewater treatment plant in... Read more about Superbugs in wastewater? Just add rhubarb and turmeric
InternationalUtah State University, USA -
Feral-free zones spark small mammal boom in Australian desert
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
A 26-year study at the Arid Recovery Reserve reveals how removing invasive predators like cats and foxes triggers a dramatic reshaping of desert small mammal communities. The removal of invasive feral animals like cats and foxes from a fenced... Read more about Feral-free zones spark small mammal boom in Australian desert
Australia; NSW; SAThe University of New South Wales | The University of Adelaide -
Global vaccine stockpiles prevented more than 5.8 million cases
BMJ Global Health
A new study from the Burnet Institute revealed the critical role of global vaccine stockpiles in preventing the spread of deadly diseases during outbreaks at a time when routine immunisation rates are falling globally — due to factors like vaccine... Read more about Global vaccine stockpiles prevented more than 5.8 million cases
Australia; VICBurnet Institute | Monash University | The University of Melbourne -
Cancer survivors could be missing out on exercise benefits
Supportive Care in Cancer
It’s widely accepted that exercise can help people living with cancer, but new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research shows many oncology healthcare providers aren’t regularly including it in their treatment plans. Cancer survivors could be... Read more about Cancer survivors could be missing out on exercise benefits
Australia; NSW; QLD; SA; WAEdith Cowan University | The University of Adelaide ... -
Tracking insect and bug health in a heartbeat from a digital camera
Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology
In a pilot study, University of South Australia researchers have used video footage of insects to extract their heart rates without touching or disturbing them. The innovation could transform how scientists monitor the health and stress levels of... Read more about Tracking insect and bug health in a heartbeat from a digital camera
Australia; SAUniversity of South Australia -
More support needed for police mental health
The Journal of Forensic Practice
A new study finds rising levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related mental health challenges across police organisations in three countries. Child abuse, murder, domestic violence. A glance at newspaper headlines is enough to... Read more about More support needed for police mental health
Australia; New Zealand; NSWUniversity of Technology Sydney (UTS) -
Health experts’ 8 recommendations for the UN Plastics Treaty
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
The UN Environment Programme is meeting in Geneva in August to finalise the first legally binding treaty on plastics. Health experts including Dr Nicholas Chartres from the University of Sydney argue the treaty needs to go further to protect our... Read more about Health experts’ 8 recommendations for the UN Plastics Treaty
Australia; International; NSWThe University of Sydney -
Underwater robots inspired by real eels
PLOS One
A Chinese researcher has developed an eel-inspired swimming robot to minimise harm to wildlife and fragile structures around it as it explores. Inspired by the eels’ long-distance migration and high-endurance cruising behaviour, the cylindrical... Read more about Underwater robots inspired by real eels
InternationalGuiyang University, China -
5 cancers may be more common among the less well off
PLOS One
Japanese scientists say five common cancers - lung, stomach, colorectal, liver, and breast - occur more often in communities with low employment rates or low incomes. They looked at cancer registry records from a prefecture south of Tokyo, Kanagawa,... Read more about 5 cancers may be more common among the less well off
InternationalKanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan -
Lonely people may be more likely to have poor physical and mental health
PLOS One
US scientists analysed phone surveys of nearly 50,000 Americans and found that more than four in five reported some degree of loneliness, and that loneliness was linked with poor mental and physical health. More than 80% of participants said they... Read more about Lonely people may be more likely to have poor physical and mental health
InternationalHoward University, USA -
NZ's oldest burial site risks being swallowed by the sea
MAI Journal
One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s earliest archaeological sites is at risk of being inundated by rising sea levels from climate change. About 20% of the heritage land at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe | Wairau Bar in the Marlborough region is currently at risk of... Read more about NZ's oldest burial site risks being swallowed by the sea
New ZealandNational Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) ... -
What symptoms might you experience after you stop taking antidepressants?
JAMA Psychiatry
Those who stop taking antidepressants could experience some side effects, according to Aussie and international researchers, who add that the rates of discontinuation symptoms are lower than those reported in prior reviews. The team looked at 49... Read more about What symptoms might you experience after you stop taking antidepressants?
Australia; International; VICDeakin University | Imperial College London, UK -
The bacteria, viruses and parasites that have plagued humans for over 37,000 years
Nature
Australian and International researchers have identified the harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites that have infected ancient humans going back 37,000 years across Europe and Asia. They found that around 6,500 years ago, nasty bugs from animals,... Read more about The bacteria, viruses and parasites that have plagued humans for over 37,000 years
Australia; International; WACurtin University | University of Copenhagen, Denmark -
The Atlantic Ocean is swimming in nanoplastics
Nature
European scientists analysed nanoplastic particles (plastic fragments less than a thousandth of a millimetre in size) in water samples taken at various water depths at 12 stations across the Atlantic Ocean and found high concentrations, especially... Read more about The Atlantic Ocean is swimming in nanoplastics
InternationalHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany -
Whale poo shows rising ocean temperatures linked to more algal bloom toxins entering the food chain
Nature
Poo samples from Bowhead whales, collected over 20 years in the Arctic, have revealled a link between rising ocean temperatures and increasing algal bloom toxins entering the food chain. The researchers measured toxins in poo samples from 205... Read more about Whale poo shows rising ocean temperatures linked to more algal bloom toxins entering the food chain
InternationalNOAA Fisheries, USA